Fasting is a part of many religious traditions, and for us Catholics, Lent is a season for fasting. For me, because I have not outgrown many characteristics of a toddler, this poses a particular challenge. It’s not because I lack discipline or self control; it’s because I get cranky, and I mean, really cranky. When I am hungry I am an irritable, impatient beast. Because of this, I have gone back and forth about whether or not I should even fast at all. If my hunger wreaks havoc in the lives of all I encounter and leads me into sin, maybe I shouldn’t be fasting.
This leads me into a question I’ve often considered. If you are in a situation where it is challenging to live out your Christian values, should you avoid that situation or persevere? For example, if I work in an environment that makes it hard to live out my faith, should I just keep trying or should I try to find somewhere where it is easier to live by what I believe? I was faced with this at one point and chose to find a better environment. I ended up much happier and felt I was living much closer to the Christian ideal. But what good is my faith practice if it only holds up in agreeable situations?
I also think about how Jesus told us we should pray: “Our Father…lead us not into temptation…” We are to ask God to spare us of temptation, which suggests that we should do our best to avoid it too. If there is a situation in which I know my good intentions will fold and I’ll end up being a beast, should I just avoid it? Should I keep trying to fast?
